Every man needs a strong butt in order to avoid one of the first signs of a dad bod: the dreaded pancake ass. A muscular rear helps fathers sprint, jump, roughhouse, and generally keep up with their kids. On top of that, a good set of glutes is great for a guy’s softball or golf swing because it puts more power behind it. The good news is that there are plenty of easy, effective butt workouts and butt exercises out there to strengthen their junk in the trunk.

“A strong ass will help just about every activity you want to do with your kids. Playing catch, picking them up, even coaching a team — you’ll need strong glutes to do all of them,” says California-based personal trainer Chris Stevenson. A muscular butt can also help men avoid a beer gut. “If you’re not one of those guys enamored with the idea of a dad bod, strong glutes can help that, too. Essentially, a strong ass will help camouflage that dad bod by keeping you from distending your belly, and helping you stand up straight.”

Weak glutes can cause injuries and problems in the knees, hamstrings, and lower back, in addition to imbalances in the hips and overall posture. Conversely, a tight butt keeps the pelvis in the right position, which takes pressure off the lower back. Nearly one in every four males experiences lower back pain which, Stevenson notes, can be attributed to our mostly sedentary lifestyle.

“When you’re sitting, like most men do while working or commuting, your hip flexors — which are responsible for movement in your hips and lower limbs — tighten,” he says. “As they do, they essentially ‘turn off’ your glutes. So, just by living a day-to-day lifestyle that includes a lot of sitting, most people automatically encourage weak glutes.”

This problem is far worse than most people think, because of a phenomenon called the sedentary athlete. “That refers to anyone who works out hard in the morning, but then drives for an hour, sits for eight more hours, and drives another hour home. Because of the way this lifestyle treats your body — sitting for an average of nine hours each day, not burning a recommended amount of calories — studies are starting to show that it can negatively affect more people than smoking.”

So, what can dads do to kick their asses into gear? Well, for one, be consciously more active. Stand at work. Go for regular walks. Prioritize working out, including butt exercises. To get started, here are some simple workouts will have guys sitting (and standing) pretty in no time.

The Bodyweight Butt Workout

On the road or can’t get to the gym? Try this ass-kicking, no-equipment-needed circuit workout.

The Butt Exercises

• Body-weight squats
• Alternating body-weight lunges
• Alternating body-weight step-ups
• Continuous squat jumps

How to do it:

• 3 to 5 rounds
• 60-second intervals
• 2-minute rest periods in between

The Weighted Butt Workout

The Butt Exercises

• Barbell squats
• Deadlifts
• Walking lunges with dumbbells
• Stiff-leg deadlifts
• Barbell hip thrusts
• Box jumps

How to do it: Perform four sets of 8 to 12 reps for each exercise, resting for 60 seconds between sets.

Make sure to: Choose a weight that you can do safely but that’s very challenging by the last rep. If you can perform 12 with no problem, then you aren’t lifting heavy enough.

This article was originally published on November 7, 2017